A fundraiser in memory of the little girl who died after being struck by a car on a sports pitch has raised £50,000.
Poppy Atkinson, 10, was taking part in a football training session at Kendal Rugby Union Football Club when the collision with a BMW i4 electric car took place. Organised by her uncles Gary Gregory and Thomas Atkinson, the GoFundMe appeal will pay for a memorial to Poppy, with money also going to grassroots football teams across the UK. In a message to those who donated, her family said: “Poppy was the focal point of our lives, everything for us revolved around Poppy’s love for football.
“The hole in our lives and so many around us that Poppy leaves is enormous, we will never be whole again. This world has lost a spirit like no other, she was a force of nature. She was so special, she was too good for this world.”
Her uncles added: “Together, we honour a girl whose light will never fade.” The milestone was reached as an inquest into her death today heard that Poppy had died from head injuries. Kirsty Gomersal, acting senior coroner for Cumbria, said the youngster’s death was confirmed at the scene by paramedics at 5.12pm, shortly after the collision in March 3.
A post-mortem examination was later carried out with a provisional cause of death given as head injuries. The talented young footballer’s parents, Ben and Clare, and other family members did not attend the brief hearing in Cockermouth, Cumbria.
Ms Gomersal told the family’s solicitor, Emily Taylor, to pass on her “deepest condolences” to Poppy’s family and friends. The coroner said she would suspend the inquest as she understood that police inquiries were ongoing. No date was fixed for a further hearing.
A man, 40, from Lancaster arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving has been released under investigation. Cumbria Police previously said the collision was not thought to be a deliberate act.
An eight-year-old girl was also injured in the incident. Part of the metal fencing on the all-weather pitch perimeter, near to a parking bay, was flattened by the vehicle. On Monday, the funeral of the avid manchester-united-fc>Manchester United supporter took place in her home town of Kendal. Hundreds lined the streets, many dressed in red at the family’s request, to pay their respects.
An artist’s impression on the coffin showed the youngster with a football by her side in a poppy field looking ahead to Old Trafford’s “Theatre of Dreams” stadium with the sun on the horizon. Following Poppy’s death, her family said the schoolgirl, who was in the under-12s team at Kendal United and also played at county level, was “100% determined to be a professional footballer”.
They added: “Many who know her, and who know her determination to improve and win, had no doubt she would one day achieve her goal to play for Manchester United. Poppy touched so many lives, it was easy to see why. Her energy, character, spirit and passion for football were infectious and touched huge numbers of people.”
Hundreds of mourners lined the streets for her funeral, many dressed in red or their own team’s colours, at the request of Poppy’s family.
You can donate to the GoFundMe here
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